Upcoming Release: Charred: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery by G.P. Gottlieb

February 12, 2023February 9, 2023 / Sisters in Crime-Colorado

Sisters in Crime – CO member G.P. Gottlieb is pleased to announce the upcoming release of Charred: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery (Book #3). Releases February 21st. Preorder on her website. www.gpgottlieb.com

Alene Baron is dealing with frustrated employees, closed schools, and a homeless man who harasses customers outside the door of her café. Then, two dead bodies turn up in the burned remains of buildings owned by the husband of Alene’s best friend and pastry chef, Ruthie. Both bodies are wearing jackets that once belonged to Ruthie and crumbled in the pockets are the café’s distinctive wrappers. At the same time, Alene’s uncle, a convicted felon, has resurfaced after disappearing for 22 years. It’s all too much for the owner of the Whipped and Sipped Café.

Upcoming Release: Standing Dead (A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery Book 8) by Margaret Mizushima

February 11, 2023February 9, 2023 / Sisters in Crime-Colorado

Sisters in Crime – CO member, Margaret Mizushima is pleased to announce the upcoming release of STANDING DEAD, her eighth Timber Creek K-9 Mystery.

In this episode, the case for Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo becomes personal when Mattie’s mother vanishes without a trace. After a dead man is found tied to a standing dead pine in the beetle-killed forest near Timber Creek, Mattie is forced to play cat and mouse with a killer. In a last-ditch gambit, she goes undercover into the killer’s lair to try to save her mother—or die trying. STANDING DEAD can be found wherever books are sold and is available for preorder now. The book releases March 7th.

www.margaretmizushima.com

Upcoming Release: Eyes on the Road by Karen C. Whalen

February 10, 2023February 9, 2023 / Sisters in Crime-Colorado

Sisters in Crime – CO member, Karen C. Whalen is pleased to announce the upcoming release of Eyes on the Road (#3 Tow Truck Murder Mysteries). Releases February 20th.

Many businesses in Spruce Ridge, Colorado hire temporary international workers during the hectic ski season. One temp, Jaana Ivanov from Estonia, is found dead in her car at the bottom of a cliff, but the car crash was not an accident. Jaana didn’t just take her eyes off the road. She was murdered. Delaney Morran often feels vulnerable herself as the lone female tow truck driver in town, so when the victim’s sister asks Delaney to help find the killer, Delaney eyes everyone with suspicion. Delaney may not be the best at towing vehicles, but she’s pretty good at digging up clues.

karecwhalen.com

Upcoming Release: The Sword in the Scone by Kirsten Weiss

February 9, 2023 / Sisters in Crime-Colorado

Tea and Tarot. Love and Murder.

A Tarot conference at a holistic resort seems the perfect place for Tea and Tarot partners Hyperion and Abigail to promote their business and enjoy some beachside luxury. But murder cuts their R&R short. And when the evidence points to Abigail’s devilishly appealing neighbor, Brik, and an unsolved murder connected to his past, these amateur detectives are on the case.

Years ago, Brik’s girlfriend died at the hands of an unknown stalker. He lost everything: his love, his job, his home. Now, he’s convinced history is repeating itself. He’s tried to keep Abigail in the friend-zone, but he fears another woman he cares about just may be the next victim.

As the investigation heats up, Brik and Abigail are determined to keep each other at arm’s length. But as they cross swords with the killer, their feelings become harder to resist. If these two don’t learn to trust each other, their chance at love might be cut short. Permanently.

The Sword in the Scone is a fast-paced and funny cozy mystery, packed with oddball characters, Tarot, and murder. Buy the book and start this hilarious caper today!

Tearoom recipes in the back of the book! Releases February 14th.

www.kirstenweiss.com

Event: February 2023 Book Club

February 2, 2023 / Sisters in Crime-Colorado

You are cordially invited to attend Sisters in Crime-Colorado Book Club. We meet once a month via Zoom. Come ready to chat with the author and other readers! If you don’t have a chance to read the book, that’s quite all right. We discuss craft, publishing and other subjects too. Everyone is welcome! Book club is free and open to the public. For specific dates please see the schedule at sistersincrimecolorado.org/book-club

PLEASE NOTE: Sisters in Crime-Colorado members can get the link to the Zoom meeting on the chapter groups.io listserv. Non-members may request the meeting link by emailing

sistersincrimecolorado(at)gmail(dot)com

February 15th, 10 am

February’s selection is Until Dead by Donnell Ann Bell.

This killer won’t stop …until she’s dead

When Lt. Everett T. Pope is notified of an explosion in downtown Denver close to the judicial buildings, his first instinct is gas leak. No such luck. As Incident Command and Pope’s own Major Crimes unit move in, he discovers he knows the intended victims—an Assistant U. S. Attorney—and Pope’s former partner, now a private investigator, has died shielding the injured AUSA with his body.

As ATF and the FBI take over investigating the bombing and unraveling motives behind the murder attempt, Pope is relegated to a peripheral role. But the injured AUSA’s aunt is a United States senator used to getting results. She turns to the team that solved the Black Pearl Killer murders with a very big ask—find her answers and locate the bomber.

FBI Special Agent Brian DiPietro must recall his entire cold case team from their far-flung assignments knowing he’s being asked to do the impossible. The senator, however, doesn’t know the meaning of the word. All too soon, DiPietro finds his team working alongside ATF on a red-hot mission. One that uncovers a decades’ old cold case.

www.donnellannbell.com/

Awards: 2023 Malice Domestic Agatha Award Nominees

January 27, 2023January 27, 2023 / Sisters in Crime-Colorado

Congratulations to our Sisters in Crime – CO members for their Malice Domestic Agatha Award Nominees!!

Best Short Story: “There Comes a Time,” Cynthia Kuhn

Best Non-Fiction: Promophobia, includes Donnell Bell’s essay, “Gain Name Recognition Before You’re Published”

Best Children’s/YA Mystery: Daybreak on Raven Island, Fleur Bradley

Chapter Meeting: Finding and Wrangling Historical Research for Your Writing & Writing Believable Fight Scenes

January 19, 2023February 9, 2023 / Sisters in Crime-Colorado

Quarterly Chapter Meeting/Event: February 4, 2023

Lone Tree Library, 10055 Library Way, Lone Tree, Colorado 80124 (303-791-READ)

Also Via Zoom; (Information on how to join the presentation will be posted in the Sisters in Crime-Colorado Groups.io members listserv.)

Please note: Chapter meetings are a member only benefit. You can learn more about us and our chapter here: https://sistersincrimecolorado.org/join/

To request more information, please use our contact form: https://sistersincrimecolorado.org/connect/

PROGRAM/SCHEDULE

9:30 am – 10:00 am Welcome, Announcements

10:00 am – 12:00 pm Finding and Wrangling Historical Research for Your Writing by Melissa Robbins

Readers want to be transported whether they go down the street, across the world, or back in time. If you get those historical details wrong, a reader might cast aside your book. Melissa will share her resources to find those details, tips on wrangling them, and how to incorporate those historical finds into your story.

12:00pm – 1:00 pm Lunch (brown bag or visit nearby restaurants)

1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Writing Believable Fight Scenes by J.T. Evans

J.T. Evans was horribly bullied in junior high, and these events drove him to find training in martial arts around his 13th birthday. He’s been in and out of martial arts since that summer and has learned a wide variety of skills and arts from many great instructors. He’s touched on many different styles throughout the decades, but the most important changes martial arts drilled into him were self confidence and compassion for others. Yes, he knows how to fight, but he also knows how to avoid physical confrontation when possible.

Join J.T as he talks about writing, fighting, and how by adding accuracy, our story lines can sizzle!

RVSP on our Meet-Up Page or through our Groups.IO Listserv

The Zoom login information will be posted in the chapter’s groups.io listserv.

About the Presenters:

Melissa Robbins writes historical mysteries set in World War Two and the Roaring Twenties. She grew up near Washington, DC, influencing her love of history and museums. She hasn’t met a museum she didn’t like. A child of the 80’s, naturally Melissa’s first story involved a winged unicorn with a rainbow mane ‘published’ in her fourth grade class. Melissa is the Vice President of the Sisters in Crime Colorado Chapter.

J.T. Evans writes fantasy and urban fantasy novels. He’ll dabble with sci-fi and horror in short form as well. He is the former president of the Colorado Springs Fiction Writers Group and Pikes Peak Writers. When not writing, he secures computers at the Day Job, and plays way too many tabletop games. Despite having his right arm amputated and reattached after a nasty car crash, he types faster than the average bear. He is the author of the Modern Mythology and Flashing Blades series and is hastily working on more right now.

J.T joined the Gnome Stew Crew in March of 2016. Since that time, he has written dozens of articles for the site and has earned three gold ENNIE award – awards given to role-playing game products and their creators (2016, 2017, and 2018) as part of the team at Gnome Stew.

Publication News: Promophobia edited by Diane Vallere

January 18, 2023 / Sisters in Crime-Colorado

AUTHOR OVERBOARD
Publishing a book can be scary. Figuring out how to promote it can be straight-up frightening. When the seas of book promo make you feel adrift in unfriendly tides, keeping your head above water can be difficult. Enter PROMOPHOBIA, a collection of essays that just might save the life of your book.

SINK OR SWIM
Divided into categories: Identifying Your Niche, Book Community, Social Media, Online Promo, Publicity, Connecting With Readers, Going On Your Own or Participating with a Group, Events, and Thinking Outside the Box, PROMOPHOBIA will open your eyes to the opportunities around you. The contributing authors share their personal experiences about what’s worked for them (and in a few humorous cases, what didn’t) to provide a beacon. You’re no longer in the dark. You’re not swimming alone.

If you’ve ever wondered if you could have done more for your latest book launch, then this book is for you. If you’re tired of relying on the same old strategies release after release, then this book is for you. If you want to readjust your sails and angle for a fresh gust of wind to carry you farther on your writing journey, then this book is for you.

A RISING TIDE LIFTS ALL BOATS
This is not a how-to book. It’s an anecdotal anthology of essays about seeing possibilities, building connections, believing in our work, making mistakes, totally f*ing up, and trying something new. It is a collection of stories told over smoothies at the gym or drinks at the bar, shared with the same spirit of community that infuses Sisters in Crime.

The next time you find yourself swimming in dark promotional waters, read an essay or two from PROMOPHOBIA. Instead of drowning in fear, you’ll find yourself saying, “I’m going to need a bigger book.”

ABOUT SISTERS IN CRIME:
Sisters in Crime is the premier crime writing association focused on equity and inclusion in our community and in publishing. Founded in 1986 to represent and advocate for women crime writers, we celebrate and honor this history with our name while we continue to work for all who share our commitment to and love for a vibrant, inclusive community. Our 4,500+ members enjoy access to tools to help them learn, grow, improve, thrive, and reinvent if necessary. They also gain a community of supportive fellow writers and readers, both peers to share the peaks and valleys of writing, and mentors to model the way forward.

On Sale: Black Pearl, a Cold Case Suspense by Donnell Ann Bell

January 16, 2023 / Sisters in Crime-Colorado

Donnell Bell’s award-winning book Black Pearl, a Cold Case Suspense is on sale for $0.99 January 16-31 at all digital outlets.

A cold case heats up when a 9-1-1 call puts police at a Denver murder scene, pointing investigators to the abduction of a Colorado teenager fourteen years earlier. A calling card—a single black pearl—is found on the newest victim. Is the murder a copycat? Or has a twisted serial killer, thought dead or in prison, returned to strike again?

Soon, the hunt for a multi-state killer is on and brings together an unexpected team: a Denver Major Crimes police lieutenant; an FBI special agent who investigated the previous murders; a rookie FBI agent with a specialty in psychology; and the only living victim of the Black Pearl Killer, who is now a cop.

For Special Agent Brian DiPietro, the case is an opportunity to find answers. For Officer Allison Shannon, the case will force her to face down the town that blamed her for surviving when another did not. And for both DiPietro and Shannon, it’s a chance for both to find closure to questions that have tormented them for years.

“Suspense, romance, high-tension, pitch-perfect pacing. Donnell Ann Bell is simply a terrific storyteller.” —Allison Brennan, New York Times bestselling author

Publication News: Chasing Karma by Terry Shepherd

January 10, 2023 / Sisters in Crime-Colorado

Happy Book Birthday to Sisters in Crime – CO member, Terry Shepherd! His book Chasing Karma (The Jessica Ramirez Thrillers Book 3) releases today, January 10th.

The most dangerous adversary has nothing left to lose. Jessica Ramirez returns with a target on her back, the same supporting cast we’ve come to love and more twists than Chubby Checker could ever imagine. From the opening stand-off until the last sentence of the last chapter, Terry’s cinematic thrills never stop. Need a cardiovascular escape from reality? Let Jess raise your heart rate.

Here’s what best selling authors wrote about Chasing Karma:

Jessica Ramirez’s past catches up with her in Chasing Karma. A deadly assassin is on her trail and everyone she cares about is a target. There’s only one way to save them—Jessica must die. Shepherd ramps up the tension as the chase ensues and not even Jessica’s closest friends know if she can survive. She risks it all. These are characters you want to spend time with, just don’t get Jessica’s bad side. Fans of Jason Bourne and Jack Reacher will enjoy this kick-ass heroine. — James L’Etoile, author of Dead Drop, Black label, and the Detective Penley series

“Fast paced and fun! Caused my heart to pound. Unputdownable.” — S.M. Freedman, author of The Day She Died and Faithful

www.terryshepherd.com

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